Pollution limits for Jasper County business permit up for public comment

COLUMBIA -- The public has the chance to speak up this month on the question of how much pollution is tolerable for a pending wastewater-spraying permit in Jasper County.

The town of Ridgeland is involved in Nimmer Turf Farm's plan to spray treated wastewater on its land. The farm's last permit to do so expired in 2008. The site is located about 2 miles west of the town of Ridgeland. The company sells turfgrass for residential lawns, commercial landscapes, golf courses, and other uses.

The Nimmer site is described as 342 acres of designated spray fields, according to a public notice posted by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control. Local goverment, not the state agency, is in charge of zoning, land use and property values.

The agency, meanwhile, is accepting comments from the public on the pending permit, and will hold a public hearing if enough people express concerns.

As part of Nimmer's application, groundwater will be tested at nine monitoring wells.

Although, that aspect of the permit may also be shaped by any public concerns.

"The pollutant limitations and other permit conditions are tentative and open to comment from the public," state DHEC's summary.

The Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority is not involved in this proposal. Messages to Nimmer Turf Farm and the town of Ridgeland were not immediately returned Thursday.

Written comments about the pending permit must be submitted within 30 days of DHEC's Oct.1 public notice. For more, visit the notice.